The present invention generally relates to lift assemblies and, more particularly, to an assembly used to position articles supported on a lift platform at a suitable elevation allowing for such articles to be readily and easily transferred to a pallet arranged adjacent to the lift assembly.
In rolling stock warehouses, manufactured product is typically wrapped and stored on wooden pallets. That is, larger machines such as high-volume photocopiers, large format printers and plotters, high output imagers, mainframe computers, and a myriad of other devices are assembled, placed onto pallets and stored until needed. Similarly, small to mid-range machines such as mid-volume copiers, convenience copiers, printers and fax machines on wheels, wheeled tool boxes, picking carts, trade show cases and other manufactured equipment and products are assembled, placed onto pallets and stored in warehouses until sold. Placing or loading such manufactured product onto pallets readily allow a fork lift or other conventional lifting device to be inserted beneath an elevated support surface of the pallet thereby lifting the entire pallet and transporting the manufactured product thereon to a suitable location for storage.
Newer pallet technology readily allows wheeled manufactured products to be suitably secured to the pallet with relative ease thereby preventing the product from rolling off during loading or while in transport. Some newer pallets furthermore allow the wheels on such manufactured product to nest or be seated within suitable recesses provided on the upper support surface of the pallet.
As will be appreciated, and besides being expensive, such manufactured product is often quite heavy. Accordingly, an inclined or ramped surface is normally required to allow the product to be pushed or rolled up and onto the elevated support surface of the pallet rather than manually lifted onto the pallet""s upper support surface. Of course, the ramp must be elongated in length so as to gradually allow the difference in height between the floor and the elevated support surface of the pallet to be overcome, especially as the manufactured product is being loaded onto the pallet.
When pushing the manufactured product up the incline or ramp to the elevated support surface of the pallet, a significant degree of care must also be exercised over the lateral disposition of the product. If the wheeled product inadvertently rolls off the ramp during its movement toward the elevated support surface of the pallet, the product may tumble and fall, thus, resulting in significant damage to the manufactured product. Collateral damage could also be incurred by the person or persons pushing the wheeled product toward the pallet. Moreover, if the person or persons pushing the product up the incline or ramp should slip or fall, the manufactured product will naturally tend to roll down the ramp which could cause significant damage to the person or person lying in the path of such wheeled product and to the product itself.
A sharply inclined ramp could likewise prove detrimental when unloading the manufactured product from the pallet unless care is exercised over the unloading process. Of course, if the manufactured product is not controlled during its descent from the elevated support surface of the pallet, significant damage can result to the product. In those instances where the manufactured product involves highly technical components, such as high-speed or high volume copiers or the like, relatively simple jarring motions can result in significant damage to what is a relatively expensive manufactured product. Accordingly significant care must be exercised during both during loading and loading of the manufactured product.
Besides the above-identified problems, such ramps or inclined structures consume valuable floor space. As mentioned, such ramps or inclined surfaces must be elongated in length so as to gradually allow the difference in height between the floor and the elevated support surface of the pallet to be overcome, especially as the manufactured product is being loaded onto the pallet. In some warehouses or facilities where the wheeled manufactured product is initially loaded onto the pallet, space is a premium. Accordingly, such ramps are often shortened, thus, significantly increasing the effort required to load and unload the wheeled manufactured product from the support surface of the palletized structure. Of course, a shortened length for the ramp or incline furthermore exacerbates the control problems required to be diligently exercised over the manufactured product as it moves up and down the incline relative to the elevated support surface on the pallet.
Thus, there is a continuing need and desire for a low profile lift apparatus which overcomes the heretofore known problems with loading and unloading of wheeled manufactured product from an elevated support surface of a pallet structure while allowing complete control to be exerted during the transference of the wheeled manufactured product between the floor and the elevated support surface of the pallet.
In view of the above, and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a low profile lift apparatus including a lift platform which accommodates manufactured product on a support surface thereof and vertically lifts or raises the manufactured product to a level or elevation generally coplanar with an elevated surface on an adjacent pallet thereby promoting transference of the product from the lift platform to the support surface on the pallet. More specifically, the low profile lift apparatus of the present invention includes a base adapted to rest on a floor with the lift platform interconnected to the base for vertical movements between raised and lowered positions. In a lowered position, a lower surface of the lift platform rests on the floor to provide the lift assembly with a low profile. The lift apparatus of the present invention further includes an apparatus for vertically moving the lift platform relative to said base.
The support surface on the lift platform and the lower surface of the lift platform are vertically spaced from each other as by the material thickness of the lift platform. In a preferred form of the invention, the lift assembly of the present invention further includes a ramp leading from the floor to the upper surface of the lift platform for facilitating movement of wheeled manufactured product from the floor to the lift platform and over the material thickness of the lift platform. Of course, the thickness of the lift platform is not that great. Accordingly, the ramp for facilitating movement of wheeled manufactured product from the floor to the lift platform is relatively short. In a most preferred form of the invention, such ramp is connected to and forms part of the lift assembly base.
The lift platform is preferably configured to inhibit inadvertent lateral shifting of the wheeled manufactured product supported thereon beyond predetermined lateral limits. The support surface of the lift platform has a generally planar configuration which is generally horizontally disposed. In a preferred form, the lift platform has a generally rectangular configuration and further includes two vertically upstanding sides extending along opposite sides of the platform and which combine with the support surface to provide the lift platform with an open top channel into which the wheeled manufactured product is accommodated. The sides of the lift platform limit lateral movements of the product supported on the lift platform.
In a preferred form of the invention, the lift assembly is structured to inhibit inadvertent shifting movements between the lift assembly and the adjacent pallet onto which the manufactured wheeled product is to be placed or loaded. In a most preferred form, the lift platform is furthermore provided with structure for limiting horizontal movements of the product carried on the support surface from falling from an open end of the channel defined by the lift platform. In one position, such limiting structure is preferably configured to extend laterally across at least one end of the open top channel formed by the lift platform. In another position, such limiting structure is disposed to facilitate rolling movements of the manufactured product from either end of the lift platform.
A linkage assembly operably interconnects the base with the lift platform. In a preferred form, the linkage is configured to maintain the support surface of the lift platform in generally parallel relation relative to the floor as the lift platform moves between lowered and raised positions. Preferably, four swing arms form the linkage assembly. Each swing arm is pivotally interconnected at opposite ends and to the same side of the base and the lift platform. Such swing arms are preferably all of equal length.
The apparatus for vertically moving the platform relative to said base preferably includes a pair of drivers operably connected between the base and the lift platform. The apparatus for vertically moving the lift platform relative to the base preferably furthermore includes circuitry which is selectively controlled by an operator to raise and lower the lift platform relative to the base. Such circuitry preferably includes a sensor for effecting movement of the platform relative to the base of the lift assembly.
As will be appreciated from the above, a primary object of this invention is to provide a low profile lift assembly for elevating manufactured products from floor level to a raised level substantially coplanar with an upper surface of a pallet thereby promoting transference of the product from the lift assembly to the pallet.
Another object of this invention is to controllably change the elevation of manufactured product within minimum space constraints thereby facilitating transference of manufactured product from floor level to a height substantially level with an upper support surface of a pallet.
Still another object of this invention is to vertically move manufactured product from a floor level disposition to a raised disposition extending substantially coplanar with an upper surface of a pallet while controlling inadvertent movements of the manufactured product which could result in damage being incurred thereto.